Race for the No. 1 Pick of the 2025 NFL Draft:
Carolina Panthers:
The Panthers have been a mess for years thanks to terrible ownership decisions by David Tepper, but new general manager Dan Morgan has made some good moves to build up the offensive line and wide receiver talent for Bryce Young. Still, it will take time, as evidenced by their performances against the Saints and Chargers. Morgan needs more runs through free agency and the draft to get Carolina out of contention for the No. 1 pick.
Denver Broncos:
The Broncos were dropped to 0-2, losing to the Steelers and struggling on offense for the second straight week. Denver could be a prime contender to land the No. 1 overall pick.
New York Giants:
The Giants had an embarrassing performance in the season opener, getting owned by the Vikings. In Week 2, New York lost to a rebuilding team in Washington. It looks like it will be a long year for the Giants.
Tennessee Titans:
The Titans fell to 0-2 with a loss to the Jets. Tennessee could be a prime contender for the No. 1 pick with Will Levis at quarterback.
Top General Manager Candidates:
- Detroit Lions director of scouting development Mike Martin
- Atlanta Falcons vice president of player personnel Kyle Smith
- Indianapolis Colts chief personnel executive Morocco Brown
- Buffalo Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray
- Tennessee Titans director of pro scouting Brian Gardner
- Philadelphia Eagles director of scouting Brandon Hunt
- Miami Dolphins assistant general manager Marvin Allen
- Washington director of pro scouting Eric Stokes
- New England Patriots executive Alonzo Highsmith
Top Head Coach Candidates:
- Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden
- Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson
- Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn
- Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley
- Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia
Head Coach Hot-Seat Tracker:
- Dallas Cowboys: Mike McCarthy
- New York Giants: Brian Daboll
- New York Jets: Robert Saleh
Let’s Play Matchmaker:
Cleveland Browns: Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas 
The Browns were able to get a win over the Jaguars, with the Cleveland defense doing the heavy lifting. Jacksonville was held to 13 points, and the Browns got the victory despite only scoring 18. Deshaun Watson has not looked like the same player that he was in the early years of his time with the Texans. Cleveland looks like they could be stuck with Watson for two more seasons. In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Browns could draft a quarterback to compete with and replace Watson.
In 2024, Ewers completed 70 percent of his passes for 506 yards with six touchdowns and an interception. In 2023, Ewers completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,479 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He surgically ripped up Alabama’s defense in a Week 2 road win. Ewers flashed some big-time potential for Texas in 2022. Ewers completed 58 percent of his passes that season for 2,177 yards, 15 touchdowns, and six interceptions. There is no doubt that Ewers can make all the throws and pocket-passing potential. While he needs to get more consistent, he has a big arm and serious passing talent. Team sources said Ewers has good makeup, football I.Q., and could continue to rise. Ewers could make sense for the Browns in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Washington Commanders: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona 
The Commanders got a three-point win to avoid a 0-2 start with their first win under new head coach Dan Quinn. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels moved the ball well but drives stalled and Washington had to settle for field goals. In the 2025 NFL Draft, Washington should look to get Daniels a No. 1 receiver and a red zone weapon in the first round next April.
To open 2024, McMillan had an amazing performance with ten catches for 304 yards and four touchdowns taking on New Mexico. In 2024, McMillan has 23 catches for 453 yards and four touchdowns. Arizona had an impressive 2023 season while featuring a dangerous passing attack. Wide receiver Jacob Cowing was a known factor for 2023, but McMillan emerged as a playmaker that season. The sophomore caught 90 passes for 1,402 yards and ten touchdowns. McMillan notched 39 catches for 702 yards and eight scores as a freshman. The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder McMillan has mismatch size for the NFL. He would be a great addition to the Commander’s offense.
New York Jets: Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma 
The Jets won In Tennessee, with Aaron Rodgers doing enough to lead the New York offense. Aside from Garrett Wilson, no other Jets receiver had three catches or even 20 yards through the air. Clearly, New York needs more receiving weapons.
Burks (5-9 190) has playmaking ability and could explode with the Sooners in 2024. Thus far, he has 22 receptions for 169 yards and three touchdowns. In 2023, Burks caught 47 passes for 629 yards and seven touchdowns with Purdue. Burks is a fast and dynamic receiver. Burks is a speed receiver that is a threat to rip off a big gain on any reception. Burks could be a nice weapon to add to the Jets offense.
Green Bay Packers: Emery Jones Jr., OT, North Carolina 
The Packers’ defense carried them to a big win while playing without starting quarterback Jordan Love. Josh Jacobs ran well, minus a fumble at the one-yard line, and Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson struggled against Green Bay. The Packers could use more offensive line power to help open holes for Jacobs and provide better pass protection for Love.
Jones (6-6, 322) earned a starting job during his freshman season and has turned in a pair of impressive years to start his collegiate career. In 2023, Jones formed an excellent tackle tandem with Will Campbell to help their quarterback Jayden Daniels produce a massive season that earned Daniels the Heisman Trophy. Jones has a strong build with impressive athleticism for a thick-bodied tackle, and his basketball background is evident in his footwork. At many schools, Jones would be a starting left tackle. Jones looks like a pro starter and should enter the NFL with excellent experience, assuming Jones stays healthy. Jones would be a nice early-round pick for Green Bay to continue bolstering their offensive line.
New Orleans Saints: Shavon Revel, CB, East Carolina 
Through two games the Saints are the most shocking team in the NFL. It’s one thing to blowout the rebuilding Panthers, but to go on the road and blow out the Cowboys was tremendous. Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, and Rashid Shaheed put Dallas away quickly. The Saints defense was superb again and New Orleans looks legit. After this season, they might get younger and cheaper at cornerback with an understudy or replacement for the oft-injured Marshon Lattimore.
Revel (6-2, 188) is a big cornerback that has impressive speed and athleticism for a big cornerback. In 2023, he had 55 tackles with 12 passes broken up and one interception. He can potentially be a riser like Quinyon Mitchell was for the 2024 draft. Revel could be a good fit in New Orleans.
Las Vegas Raiders: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
The Raiders pulled off one of the most shocking upsets in Week 2 with a road win at Baltimore. Gardner Minshew brought back Las Vegas, leaning on Davante Adams and Brock Bowers through the air. While they were able to make a big comeback, the Raiders struggled to run the ball, and their stable of backs might be a group of backup-caliber players.
In 2024, Hampton averaged five yards per carry for 206 yards and five receptions for 17 yards. The big back Hampton ran well for North Carolina in 2023, averaging 5.9 yards per carry for 1,504 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also caught 29 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. The 6-foot, 220-pound Hampton is built well for the NFL, and he is a physical load that breaks a lot of tackles while ripping off a lot of yards after contact.
Buffalo Bills: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
The Bills rolled Miami on Thursday night football, with the Buffalo defense producing a fabulous performance to shut down the Dolphin’s high-powered offense. James Cook scored three touchdowns, and it was an easy night’s work for Josh Allen. It will be interesting to see how the Bills’ new receiving corps performs this season, but in the 2025 NFL Draft, they could consider adding a No.2 receiver to go with Keon Coleman.
In 2023, Egbuka had 41 catches for 515 yards and four touchdowns while dealing with injuries. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder turned in 74 receptions for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022. He emerged as a potential No. 1 receiver or really good No. 2 wideout. Egbuka would have had an even bigger year at other schools, but he was the No. 2 receiver for Ohio State across from Marvin Harrison Jr. Egbuka could be a good No. 2 receiver for the Bills to pair with Keon Coleman.
Team Draft Report:
In this section, we take a deeper look at specific teams and where they stand in regards to the 2025 NFL Draft.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers do not get the respect they deserve from the NFL media and fandom. The Bucs have made the playoffs for four straight seasons, with a Super Bowl Championship at the start of that run. While some key players of their championship run aged out and retired, the Buccaneers have drafted well overall to keep their roster strong and competitive. Tampa Bay is among the elite teams in the NFC.
In my latest mock 2025 NFL Draft, I have the Buccaneers taking Florida State edge rusher Patrick Payton. YaYa Diaby has been a fantastic pick for Tampa Bay, but they need more edge-rush talent across from him. Todd Bowles is one of the most underrated coaches in the NFL and is a defensive and blitz scheme mastermind. Adding a rusher to go with Diaby, Vita Vea, and Calijah Kancey would allow Bowles to generate more rush with his front four so he can drop players in pass coverage. Aside from Payton, they could consider edge rushers like Arkansas’ Landon Jackson, Ohio State’s J.T. Tuimoloau, and Ole Miss’ Princely Umanmielen.
The Bucs also could consider drafting cornerback talent. Zyon McCollum could prove to be a steal and the long-term replacement for Carlton Davis, but they could draft more corner talent to go with him even if he does. Some first-round options include Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison, East Carolina’s Shavon Revel, Virginia Tech’s Mansoor Delane, Minnesota’s Justin Walley, and Louisville’s Tahveon Nicholson. Tampa Bay might wait until day two as they have had a lot of success with identifying, drafting, and developing good cornerbacks after the first round.
The 2-0 Buccaneers could win the NFC South again this season and make a post-season run. Another good draft could help get them back in the Super Bowl.
Miami Dolphins:
The Dolphins had a disastrous performance on Thursday Night Football. Not only were they blown out by a divisional rival, but having starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffer another concussion while running through Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin was a disaster. Tagovailoa will be out indefinitely, and given his history of concussions, there are concerns about his career coming to an early end. While the loss is very painful, Miami has a very talented roster with some elite players on both sides of the ball. If Tagovailoa returns before long, this season could see Miami challenge for the Super Bowl. However, the Dolphins have areas they could look to improve, and they should also consider drafting a quarterback as soon as the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
In my latest mock 2025 NFL Draft, I have the Dolphins taking Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly and adding to the offensive line would make sense, especially if Tagovailoa is going to continue his career in Miami. Veteran left tackle Terron Armstead has dealt with injuries, so a tackle like Conerly could compete at guard and give them a long-term replacement for Armstead. Aside from Conerly, there could be other good tackle options like Georgia’s Earnest Greene, Texas’ Kelvin Banks, and Minnesota’s Aireontae Ersery.
Even if Tagovailoa misses the rest of the season, Miami has too much talent on their roster to pick in the top five. Thus, they could miss out on top quarterback prospects like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Georgia’s Carson Beck. The Dolphins could consider other quarterback prospects like Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Penn State’s Drew Allar, and Miami Hurricanes’ Cam Ward. Ewers and Ward would be a good fit in the Dolphins offense. While the tendency is there to get some quick answers, the decision on whether they need to draft a quarterback will have to be figured out early in 2025 after seeing what happens with Tagovailoa for the rest of the season.
Defensively, the interior of the defensive line could use more talent with a true replacement for Christian Wilkins. The 2025 draft could be a strong year for tackle talent, so they could have some good options in the early rounds to bolster their defensive line. The Dolphins also could consider adding cornerback talent to go with Jalen Ramsey.
Many teams that won the Super Bowl have had ugly losses during their championship season. There is no reason for Dolphins fans to give up. If Tagovailoa comes back, they can compete with any team in the league. Still, suppose Tagovailoa can’t stay on the field. In that case, Miami will have to consider adding a new quarterback that could potentially capitalize on their talented roster to bring the Dolphins a Super Bowl championship.
